Balangan's Pitap Dam wing collapses

Paringin, S Kalimantan (AntaranewsKalsel) - Pitap Dam wing that residents called Tabat Durian Panjang in Panggung Village, South Paringin Subdistrict, Balangan, South Kalimantan, has collapsed.

The agricultural dam with the water gate is the work of the Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (PUPR) through the Irrigation Sector. Information collected from the surrounding community, the dam after completion of construction is not functioning optimally.

The head of the irrigation division along with staff and consultants visited the site on Tuesday (14/11) when residents reported the dam was built but was not functioning because it could not drain water to the rice fields.

Thus, around 60-70 of the rice fields are threatened not irrigated, due to the dam and mersu or dam wings are not high, especially the drainage is too low, and embankment is less long, so the water storage function is also small.

Rini Mariani as Head of Irrigation Sector once said, if the mersu dam is elevated, one of the landowners besides protested, because the water will spill over into his rubber land.

"After discussing with the landowner, he finally agreed what it would be like, will be renovated according to the wishes of the residents, the mersu elevated, and the channel will be widened so that the water will flow to the existing channel," she explained when reviewing the location.

As of Friday (1/12) there has been no work as intended by the Head of Irrigation Sector, namely the elevation of mersu and the widening of the promised channels.

On Wednesday (29/11) night, finally, heavy rain occurred in Balangan, making wing embankment of water gate which declared completed in accordance with the draft Budget (RAB) was finally broken.

In the location of the incident, AntaranewsKalsel with local residents have witnessed no solid foundation on the wing of the water gate, so water easily broke through the edge of the water gate and penetrated the rear wing of the watergate.

The underwing foundation of the watergates was open, and only the wood and the planks were covered with soil pile compacting, then topped with concrete cement.

Then, the watergates are not functioning optimally, the wheels of the sluice gates are already visibly eroded by rubbing when open and close.

The function of the wheels is very important because it is used to open and close the watergates, in order to control the water collected.

Now the people expect the project worth Rp1, 1 billion is immediately repaired as well as possible, in order to function properly for agriculture, for the sake of regional and even national food self-sufficiency.